"Final Plea"
The sun shone through on Nami's bed and lit her tear-stained face. She stirred a bit under her new bed sheets and felt happy until she remembered where she was. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on her door and she realized she could no longer pretend she was home.
"Come in," she said, opening her eyes. In came a young boy, one she hasn't met yet. He was maybe two or three years younger than her. The first thing she noticed about him was his unusual hair, growing from black at the roots to white at the tips. He carried clothes in his arms which he unloaded onto her bed.
"I hope I didn't wake you," he said softly and added, "I brought you some clothes."
"Arigato. I'm sure they're fine," Nami said to him.
"My name is Sohma Hatsuharu."
"I'm Daishi Nami. "
"I know."
"So, you've heard?"
"Hai, Hatori asked me to carry your clothes up for you so he eventually explained who you are."
"Hai," she said and turned away from him. She wasn't in particular mood to socialize.
"How do you like it here so far?" He asked in an attempt at conversation. Nami looked at him as if he had completely lost his mind.
"I don't want to be held prisoner, Hatsuharu," she said to him helplessly.
"I know, but there really isn't any way around it."
"Maybe there is. Maybe if I just talk to Akito and explain..." Nami's voice trailed off.
"My best advice is that you keep as far away from Akito-san as you can. He's done so many horrible things I can't even count them all." He kept his thoughts on Yuki and wondered if he should talk to her about him. He knew that they've met and that it was Yuki who transformed in front of her.
"I've heard," Nami said flatly, hoping not to hear another story. She didn't want it to take away from her courage. She would need it to speak with Akito, which she was determined to do anyway. She thought of the stories Yuki had already shared with her and suddenly wished that she hadn't listened to them.
"It'll get better." Hatsuharu sat down on the bed next to her. He wasn't usually the optimistic type, but he felt that he should do his share to make her feel better. "I live on the estate and I know it may seem gray and dead, it often has its up-sides.." he tried to think of one. "Like New Year's. We always throw a big party. You'll love it!" He realized his words weren't having the desired effect since the painful look in Nami's eyes didn't soften. He sighed. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Nami suddenly felt a calming wave of relief overcome her. Those words made her feel.. almost welcome. Her biggest fear was being left to do this alone. "Arigato!" She said. Forgetting herself, she wrapped her arms around him. A cloud of smoke puffed up in the air and Nami found herself hugging a cow. "Ah! Gomen, Hatsuharu! I didn't know!"
"It was worth it," joked the cow. A drop of sweat appeared on Nami's forehead and she got out of bed.
"Can I ask you a question?" Nami asked and the cow nodded. "Is Akito- san cursed?"
"No, he's not part of the Juunishi."
"Oh, I see." Nami shifted in her spot. She's never spoken to a cow before but, above everything else, it wasn't the strangest thing she's experienced in reference to the Sohma family. Hatori came to her mind and she shivered at the thought of having to speak with him. She figured she'd have to do it eventually. A night of sleep hadn't change her opinion about him.
"Nani?" The cow tilted its head as he watched Nami's empty expression.
She shook her head, signifying that it was nothing. "What about Hatori- san?"
"Seahorse," was Hatsuharu's simple response.
"I didn't know the seahorse was part of the Juunishi."
"Long story."
"Ah," Nami remarked and they stayed quiet for a while. Almost as if to break the silence, the cow changed back to his human form and casually pulled his clothes on. Nami turned her head and pretended to find something astoundingly interesting about the wall.
Then Hatsuharu said, "I'll let you get changed. Breakfast will be in the dining room in fifteen minutes. You don't have to come if you don't want to but I wish you would."
Nami nodded and with that, he left the room. She looked through the pile of clothes and wondered where they had gotten them from. She picked up the first thing on the pile which happened to be a light, blue dress and decided that it will do. She got changed from the school uniform she slept in and went in search of the dining room.
It took her a while to find it in the large house but when she did, Hatsuharu and Hatori were waiting there for her. She let out a small eek and toyed with the idea of just turning around. She wasn't sure rather she wanted to sit down at a table with Hatori. He had such an eerie feeling about him. She knew that she shouldn't be afraid of him but the nagging feeling wouldn't stop. She swallowed hard and eventually walked in. As she sat down a maid came around to pour each of them a cup of coffee.
"I'm glad you joined us," Hatori said from behind his newspaper.
Shocked, Nami's head darted up immediately. "Arigato. Will Akito-san be eating with us?" She asked, hoping to get a chance to talk to him.
"Iie, don't worry. He hardly ever comes down to eat. When he does, he eats alone," Hatsuharu said as if trying to reassure her. Two servants then came into the dining room and placed the food around the table. Nami picked up some fruit as Hatori put down his newspaper and reached for the butter. She let out a deranged noise which might be classified somewhere in between a shriek and a gulp when his hand reached over hers. She pulled back and decided to play it off.
"Well Nami, we have a schedule to stick to today," Hatori said to her.
"A schedule?"
"Hai, after breakfast you can have some time to yourself. Get settled in and I'm sure Haru wouldn't mind showing you around. Then I'll meet you in the study for your lessons."
"You'll be teaching me?" Nami had simply forgotten the matter of schooling over everything else. Hatori, above all people. Wonderful, she thought, just wonderful.
"Hai."
"I didn't know they had schools in prison," she remarked sarcastically.
"A couple of hours a day and you should get your high school diploma with the rest of your class," Hatori replied, ignoring the sarcasm.
After a moment of silence, Nami asked, "Do you both live in this house?"
"Haru doesn't but he lives in another house on the estate. He decided to have breakfast with us this morning to help you feel more at home," Hatori explained and added, "I also don't live here permanently but I moved in for the time being. Akito is very sick and he needs constant supervision. I'm a doctor, you see, and I take care of him. I'll return to my home when he gets better."
Nami let out an audible sigh. Out of all the people on this planet, she has to live with the sadistic Sohma Akito and the sinister Sohma Hatori. The rest of breakfast went by quickly and mostly without any conversation. Finally, Nami stood up, thanked Hatori and Haru for their company and began to leave the room.
"If you'd like, I can come with you and show you around," Haru volunteered.
Without turning around, Nami calmly replied, "Actually, I was thinking of going to see Akito-san."
"I don't think you should." Haru stood up and spoke sternly. Nami thought she felt something change in him. She turned to face him.
"I can't avoid him forever; after all, that is how long I'm going to stay here, isn't it?"
"Baka. Don't be ignorant. What if he.." Haru said in a dark tone but Nami stopped him.
"... Hurts me?" It's bound to happen sooner or later," she said, in a tone almost equal to that of Black Haru. With that, she made her way back in search of Akito's bedroom. Hatori moved to where Haru was standing and began calming him down. Black Haru was usually not very welcome, especially when conflicting with Akito.
Nami approached Akito's room and saw him through the open door; he was looking out the window. "Akito-san," she said softly as she knocked on his door.
"What is it?" He replied coldly.
"I wanted to talk to you," she said, taking a few steps into the room.
"Talk."
"Well," she began, getting right to the point, "I thought that maybe you could give me the benefit of the doubt. If I tell anyone about this then I get no second chance. Just kill me and erase their memory. I'm begging you to let me go," she pleaded.
"If you're begging," he said in a dark tone, "then why aren't you on your knees?" He then kicked the back of her leg and she fell to the floor. She stood up again and, again he kicked her. Realizing that she'll only get hurt more if she stands up again, she stayed on the ground.
"I don't want you here," he told her. "You are just another pain to me. The fact that I am allowing you to live is generous. You're ungrateful because you don't realize the sacrifice I am making for you. You are just another curse to make me suffer."
While listening to Akito say these things, Nami was intrigued by a beautiful garden outside the window. In times like these a short attention span isn't so bad. She wondered how the flowers stayed so lovely even in the Fall. One type of flower in particular caught her eye. There seemed to be an abundance of it. It was light red in hue and had delicate petals. It raised itself to the sky along any route it could find, its vines climbing higher with each day. She thought they were stunning. Akito had stopped talking before she realized it; he had been looking at the flowers, too.
Without saying another word, Nami painfully stood up and left the room. Stepping out the door, she heard Akito coughing. She turned around and saw him lean on the wall. He stopped coughing and caught his breath. She turned back around and made her way down the hall, to the study.
"Alright, let's have a look at that leg," Hatori said, noting her limp. He tried his best that day to be as positive and cheerful as he could; however, the gift of good humor wasn't in him. He had sensed that Nami wasn't responding well to him and resolved to putting on a happy mask for her. Nami sat down in a chair and he knelt down next to her.
"What's making Akito-san sick?" Nami asked Hatori as he examined her knee. He looked up at her with a confused expression on his face.
"I thought you knew about the curse," he said as he wrapped a bandage around her knee.
"What does Akito's sickness have to do with the curse?"
"In that case, I suppose no one has explained it to you. Akito takes the whole Junnishi curse upon himself. It wasn't his choice, of course." Hatori sighed and went on, "It's his own personal curse. He was born only to die. It's why he's so sick all the time; he's slowly approaching the finale of his curse."
"Death," Nami said blankly. Hatori nodded. "Hatori-san, I see so much unrelenting pain in him."
Hatori looked up at her, stunned above anything else. He didn't expect her to see things this way at all. He felt the same way. "I know, Nami. I see it, too."
"Yet it's so difficult for me to understand him. Every time I try, he becomes so cold and withdrawn."
"No one understands. I suppose it's why I take care of him. He needs someone, after all."
"Now I see. He's been hurt, too."
Hatori sighed. He didn't know how she figured this out so well. It was definitely not the popular opinion among the Sohma family. "More than anyone."
"Has he ever done anything horrible to you?" Nami asked, to see if he would really tell her. Yuki intrigued her with the story of Kana in exact detail. She thought that if she tried to talk with Hatori that she'd see him as more of a human being than the cold heart he appears to be.
Hatori seemed uncomfortable but he wanted to tell her. Partially because he wanted to be able to connect with her, and partially because he wanted to relieve some of his burden. Having someone else just understand Akito like he does would do a great deal. He felt that she had been trying harder than anyone.
"I was in love once," he began. "When we told Akito that we wanted to get married he lost his temper. He became very upset, but I don't blame him. It was no one's fault but mine. I should have known better."
Nami was somewhat taken aback by this. She didn't expect such a confession from Hatori. He seemed like a person who wouldn't have emotions, let alone share them. She saw his stern eyes melt a bit and wondered what kind of person Kana was that she would love him so much. Dedicated, Nami decided. "You can't blame yourself for falling in love," she finally declared.
"Akito became so angry that he almost blinded me in the left eye. Kana, the woman I fell in love with, blamed herself for everything. I had to erase her memory of me so she could be happy again."
"You did nothing wrong." Nami tried to comfort him.
"I was naive."
"If you could go back, would you.." She began but Hatori stopped her.
"Please don't. I've asked myself that question all too often."
Nami felt that the hurt was returning full force to him just speaking of this. "Gomen. I didn't mean to.."
"It's alright, there's nothing to apologize for." Hatori's eyes fixed back to their default stern look as he made it clear that he wanted to end the conversation. There was a short moment of silence in which Nami thought of what he had just told her. She wondered why Akito had been so set on breaking up the marriage.
"Maybe Akito-san feels angry because no one's ever loved him," she mused. Hatori didn't respond.
With that, the subject of Akito ended for the day. Hatori began Nami's lessons and they did not stray to any other topics.
[Preview of next chapter- a short yet significant chapter. Nami pushes Akito a bit too far in an attempt at getting through to him. Ah, poor girl.]
The sun shone through on Nami's bed and lit her tear-stained face. She stirred a bit under her new bed sheets and felt happy until she remembered where she was. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on her door and she realized she could no longer pretend she was home.
"Come in," she said, opening her eyes. In came a young boy, one she hasn't met yet. He was maybe two or three years younger than her. The first thing she noticed about him was his unusual hair, growing from black at the roots to white at the tips. He carried clothes in his arms which he unloaded onto her bed.
"I hope I didn't wake you," he said softly and added, "I brought you some clothes."
"Arigato. I'm sure they're fine," Nami said to him.
"My name is Sohma Hatsuharu."
"I'm Daishi Nami. "
"I know."
"So, you've heard?"
"Hai, Hatori asked me to carry your clothes up for you so he eventually explained who you are."
"Hai," she said and turned away from him. She wasn't in particular mood to socialize.
"How do you like it here so far?" He asked in an attempt at conversation. Nami looked at him as if he had completely lost his mind.
"I don't want to be held prisoner, Hatsuharu," she said to him helplessly.
"I know, but there really isn't any way around it."
"Maybe there is. Maybe if I just talk to Akito and explain..." Nami's voice trailed off.
"My best advice is that you keep as far away from Akito-san as you can. He's done so many horrible things I can't even count them all." He kept his thoughts on Yuki and wondered if he should talk to her about him. He knew that they've met and that it was Yuki who transformed in front of her.
"I've heard," Nami said flatly, hoping not to hear another story. She didn't want it to take away from her courage. She would need it to speak with Akito, which she was determined to do anyway. She thought of the stories Yuki had already shared with her and suddenly wished that she hadn't listened to them.
"It'll get better." Hatsuharu sat down on the bed next to her. He wasn't usually the optimistic type, but he felt that he should do his share to make her feel better. "I live on the estate and I know it may seem gray and dead, it often has its up-sides.." he tried to think of one. "Like New Year's. We always throw a big party. You'll love it!" He realized his words weren't having the desired effect since the painful look in Nami's eyes didn't soften. He sighed. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Nami suddenly felt a calming wave of relief overcome her. Those words made her feel.. almost welcome. Her biggest fear was being left to do this alone. "Arigato!" She said. Forgetting herself, she wrapped her arms around him. A cloud of smoke puffed up in the air and Nami found herself hugging a cow. "Ah! Gomen, Hatsuharu! I didn't know!"
"It was worth it," joked the cow. A drop of sweat appeared on Nami's forehead and she got out of bed.
"Can I ask you a question?" Nami asked and the cow nodded. "Is Akito- san cursed?"
"No, he's not part of the Juunishi."
"Oh, I see." Nami shifted in her spot. She's never spoken to a cow before but, above everything else, it wasn't the strangest thing she's experienced in reference to the Sohma family. Hatori came to her mind and she shivered at the thought of having to speak with him. She figured she'd have to do it eventually. A night of sleep hadn't change her opinion about him.
"Nani?" The cow tilted its head as he watched Nami's empty expression.
She shook her head, signifying that it was nothing. "What about Hatori- san?"
"Seahorse," was Hatsuharu's simple response.
"I didn't know the seahorse was part of the Juunishi."
"Long story."
"Ah," Nami remarked and they stayed quiet for a while. Almost as if to break the silence, the cow changed back to his human form and casually pulled his clothes on. Nami turned her head and pretended to find something astoundingly interesting about the wall.
Then Hatsuharu said, "I'll let you get changed. Breakfast will be in the dining room in fifteen minutes. You don't have to come if you don't want to but I wish you would."
Nami nodded and with that, he left the room. She looked through the pile of clothes and wondered where they had gotten them from. She picked up the first thing on the pile which happened to be a light, blue dress and decided that it will do. She got changed from the school uniform she slept in and went in search of the dining room.
It took her a while to find it in the large house but when she did, Hatsuharu and Hatori were waiting there for her. She let out a small eek and toyed with the idea of just turning around. She wasn't sure rather she wanted to sit down at a table with Hatori. He had such an eerie feeling about him. She knew that she shouldn't be afraid of him but the nagging feeling wouldn't stop. She swallowed hard and eventually walked in. As she sat down a maid came around to pour each of them a cup of coffee.
"I'm glad you joined us," Hatori said from behind his newspaper.
Shocked, Nami's head darted up immediately. "Arigato. Will Akito-san be eating with us?" She asked, hoping to get a chance to talk to him.
"Iie, don't worry. He hardly ever comes down to eat. When he does, he eats alone," Hatsuharu said as if trying to reassure her. Two servants then came into the dining room and placed the food around the table. Nami picked up some fruit as Hatori put down his newspaper and reached for the butter. She let out a deranged noise which might be classified somewhere in between a shriek and a gulp when his hand reached over hers. She pulled back and decided to play it off.
"Well Nami, we have a schedule to stick to today," Hatori said to her.
"A schedule?"
"Hai, after breakfast you can have some time to yourself. Get settled in and I'm sure Haru wouldn't mind showing you around. Then I'll meet you in the study for your lessons."
"You'll be teaching me?" Nami had simply forgotten the matter of schooling over everything else. Hatori, above all people. Wonderful, she thought, just wonderful.
"Hai."
"I didn't know they had schools in prison," she remarked sarcastically.
"A couple of hours a day and you should get your high school diploma with the rest of your class," Hatori replied, ignoring the sarcasm.
After a moment of silence, Nami asked, "Do you both live in this house?"
"Haru doesn't but he lives in another house on the estate. He decided to have breakfast with us this morning to help you feel more at home," Hatori explained and added, "I also don't live here permanently but I moved in for the time being. Akito is very sick and he needs constant supervision. I'm a doctor, you see, and I take care of him. I'll return to my home when he gets better."
Nami let out an audible sigh. Out of all the people on this planet, she has to live with the sadistic Sohma Akito and the sinister Sohma Hatori. The rest of breakfast went by quickly and mostly without any conversation. Finally, Nami stood up, thanked Hatori and Haru for their company and began to leave the room.
"If you'd like, I can come with you and show you around," Haru volunteered.
Without turning around, Nami calmly replied, "Actually, I was thinking of going to see Akito-san."
"I don't think you should." Haru stood up and spoke sternly. Nami thought she felt something change in him. She turned to face him.
"I can't avoid him forever; after all, that is how long I'm going to stay here, isn't it?"
"Baka. Don't be ignorant. What if he.." Haru said in a dark tone but Nami stopped him.
"... Hurts me?" It's bound to happen sooner or later," she said, in a tone almost equal to that of Black Haru. With that, she made her way back in search of Akito's bedroom. Hatori moved to where Haru was standing and began calming him down. Black Haru was usually not very welcome, especially when conflicting with Akito.
Nami approached Akito's room and saw him through the open door; he was looking out the window. "Akito-san," she said softly as she knocked on his door.
"What is it?" He replied coldly.
"I wanted to talk to you," she said, taking a few steps into the room.
"Talk."
"Well," she began, getting right to the point, "I thought that maybe you could give me the benefit of the doubt. If I tell anyone about this then I get no second chance. Just kill me and erase their memory. I'm begging you to let me go," she pleaded.
"If you're begging," he said in a dark tone, "then why aren't you on your knees?" He then kicked the back of her leg and she fell to the floor. She stood up again and, again he kicked her. Realizing that she'll only get hurt more if she stands up again, she stayed on the ground.
"I don't want you here," he told her. "You are just another pain to me. The fact that I am allowing you to live is generous. You're ungrateful because you don't realize the sacrifice I am making for you. You are just another curse to make me suffer."
While listening to Akito say these things, Nami was intrigued by a beautiful garden outside the window. In times like these a short attention span isn't so bad. She wondered how the flowers stayed so lovely even in the Fall. One type of flower in particular caught her eye. There seemed to be an abundance of it. It was light red in hue and had delicate petals. It raised itself to the sky along any route it could find, its vines climbing higher with each day. She thought they were stunning. Akito had stopped talking before she realized it; he had been looking at the flowers, too.
Without saying another word, Nami painfully stood up and left the room. Stepping out the door, she heard Akito coughing. She turned around and saw him lean on the wall. He stopped coughing and caught his breath. She turned back around and made her way down the hall, to the study.
"Alright, let's have a look at that leg," Hatori said, noting her limp. He tried his best that day to be as positive and cheerful as he could; however, the gift of good humor wasn't in him. He had sensed that Nami wasn't responding well to him and resolved to putting on a happy mask for her. Nami sat down in a chair and he knelt down next to her.
"What's making Akito-san sick?" Nami asked Hatori as he examined her knee. He looked up at her with a confused expression on his face.
"I thought you knew about the curse," he said as he wrapped a bandage around her knee.
"What does Akito's sickness have to do with the curse?"
"In that case, I suppose no one has explained it to you. Akito takes the whole Junnishi curse upon himself. It wasn't his choice, of course." Hatori sighed and went on, "It's his own personal curse. He was born only to die. It's why he's so sick all the time; he's slowly approaching the finale of his curse."
"Death," Nami said blankly. Hatori nodded. "Hatori-san, I see so much unrelenting pain in him."
Hatori looked up at her, stunned above anything else. He didn't expect her to see things this way at all. He felt the same way. "I know, Nami. I see it, too."
"Yet it's so difficult for me to understand him. Every time I try, he becomes so cold and withdrawn."
"No one understands. I suppose it's why I take care of him. He needs someone, after all."
"Now I see. He's been hurt, too."
Hatori sighed. He didn't know how she figured this out so well. It was definitely not the popular opinion among the Sohma family. "More than anyone."
"Has he ever done anything horrible to you?" Nami asked, to see if he would really tell her. Yuki intrigued her with the story of Kana in exact detail. She thought that if she tried to talk with Hatori that she'd see him as more of a human being than the cold heart he appears to be.
Hatori seemed uncomfortable but he wanted to tell her. Partially because he wanted to be able to connect with her, and partially because he wanted to relieve some of his burden. Having someone else just understand Akito like he does would do a great deal. He felt that she had been trying harder than anyone.
"I was in love once," he began. "When we told Akito that we wanted to get married he lost his temper. He became very upset, but I don't blame him. It was no one's fault but mine. I should have known better."
Nami was somewhat taken aback by this. She didn't expect such a confession from Hatori. He seemed like a person who wouldn't have emotions, let alone share them. She saw his stern eyes melt a bit and wondered what kind of person Kana was that she would love him so much. Dedicated, Nami decided. "You can't blame yourself for falling in love," she finally declared.
"Akito became so angry that he almost blinded me in the left eye. Kana, the woman I fell in love with, blamed herself for everything. I had to erase her memory of me so she could be happy again."
"You did nothing wrong." Nami tried to comfort him.
"I was naive."
"If you could go back, would you.." She began but Hatori stopped her.
"Please don't. I've asked myself that question all too often."
Nami felt that the hurt was returning full force to him just speaking of this. "Gomen. I didn't mean to.."
"It's alright, there's nothing to apologize for." Hatori's eyes fixed back to their default stern look as he made it clear that he wanted to end the conversation. There was a short moment of silence in which Nami thought of what he had just told her. She wondered why Akito had been so set on breaking up the marriage.
"Maybe Akito-san feels angry because no one's ever loved him," she mused. Hatori didn't respond.
With that, the subject of Akito ended for the day. Hatori began Nami's lessons and they did not stray to any other topics.
[Preview of next chapter- a short yet significant chapter. Nami pushes Akito a bit too far in an attempt at getting through to him. Ah, poor girl.]